About the Velvet-fronted Nuthatch
The velvet-fronted nuthatch is a small passerine bird in the nuthatch family Sittidae found in southern Asia, from Nepal, India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh east to southwestern China and Indonesia. Like other nuthatches, it feeds on insects in the bark of trees, foraging on the trunks and branches and their strongly clawed toes allow them to climb down tree trunks or move on the undersides of horizontal branches. They are found in forests with good tree cover and are often found along with other species in mixed-species foraging flocks. Adult males can be told apart by the black stripe that runs behind and above the eyes. They have a rapid chipping call note. They breed in tree cavities and…
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
ID tip
The velvet-fronted nuthatch has the typical nuthatch shape, short tail and powerful bill and feet. It is a small nuthatch, 12–13.5 cm long. It is violet-blue above, with lavender cheeks, buffy grey underparts, yellow eyes, and a whitish throat. The iris is distinctly pale and yellow. The bill is orange-red to bright red, and there is a black patch on the forehead and lores which is well developed in adults and less so in younger birds. The legs vary in colour between different subspecies (see #Subspecies, below). Young birds have a dark beak and dark tips to the undertail coverts.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where it lives
When to see it
Peak activity in February · a resident species across most of its range
Easily confused with
Chestnut-bellied NuthatchSitta cinnamoventrisThe chestnut-bellied nuthatch is a species of bird belonging to the family Sittidae.
White-tailed NuthatchSitta himalayensisThe white-tailed nuthatch is a species of bird in the family Sittidae.
Western Rock NuthatchSitta neumayerThe western rock nuthatch is a small passerine bird which breeds from Croatia east through Greece and Turkey to Iran.
Learn the Velvet-fronted Nuthatch for real
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